Footitis--------need good advice

ks65609

ks65609

Member
Aug 30, 2009
342
Ontario Canada
Boat Info
1992 330 Sundancer
Engines
Twin 454 Mercruiser--340hp

V drive inboards
Currently trailering a 93 230 DA.

Does it make sense to go larger ??

Could sure use some help evaluting the pros and cons from the experts.

We think we like the flexibility of trailering however the Trent Canal system has become very interesting for my wife and a I (3 and a half hour trip ) to launch and then of course the return trip a few days later.

To trailer larger means a big investment (no go) and I am thinking of sellling both boat/trailer and my SS to move to a maybe 27 foot range unit with a trailer that I could have moved for me if necessary and then use for storage purposes as well.

Lots of things to think about and difficult to be diligent when looking a pics a larger beautiful Sea Rays.

If you can be of help please feel free to jump in.

Thanks
Ken
 
Ken, I started out with owning 2 16ft cuddy Baysinker & then a 2150 Aft cabin Baysinker. :wow:
Now I'm very happy with the size of boat I have now. :smt001

So to answers your question !!. Bigger is always better to fit your needs. :thumbsup:
 
I would say get at least a 30 ft. boat or the jump will not seem very significant after a few weeks.
 
Ken, sell everything, including the SS!!! Find a marina, rent a slip, buy nothing short of a 30-32 footer. Trust me, you won't be disappointed:thumbsup:
 
For what is worth.......

1. I too will move up in size. From a 25DA to a 31 or 33DA. Anything smaller, like Quint said, doesn't seem like much of a move up.

2. If I had to trailer, we would get out of boating. Too much work & worry in relation to time on the boat.

3. The weather seldom keeps us away from the boat. It would certainly keep me away from 8 hours of loading, towing, launching... You get the point.

4. Your thought of having a trailer for the option to move & store a 27' boat is not a bad one. I made the mistake of not getting a trailer & was shocked at the prices when I looked "after the fact".
 
After we realized that we trailering the boat less and less to long distance trips we wanted to try renting a slip and see how it feels to be part of the marina community. We also had our 2nd child and the more we though about it the more it made sense to upgrade to larger boat and give up trailering option in exchange for the most comforts. 3 yrs later I can tell you it's the best move I've ever made, despite the fact that we loved our 240DA and had it for 4 seasons. It was very logical move for our situation.

As for what should be the next boat I'd say the biggest you can get, b/c as soon as you start getting comfortable being in marina community and taking more cruises the new to you "big" boat will become small fast. So, as others suggested get nothing smaller than 30 footer.

The trick is that the more comfort you get in the new boat the more you'll want to be on it and cruise. So, having said that try to picture yourself in the 30 footer and think how would you be using the boat. This answer will be the biggest driver in terms of choosing the next model.
 
Well said Alex, I tried to say that !!. :thumbsup:
But I've been drinking adult soda's tonight. :grin:
 
Bigger is better! I trailer a 30 footer because I can't stand going to the same marina, on the same lake, with the same dock neighbors! We have too many GREAT places to boat and a marina would limit our options. With the trailer I can go to Priest Lake, Lake Pend Oreille, the San Juans, Columbia and Snake Rivers, Flathead lake in Montana and a host of smaller locations! I'm an explorer and want to see new places! If I lived in Seattle, I'd probably just moore it since we'd be spending out times in the San Juans. Where you live and the availability of alternate places to boat will be a factor in that decision.

The trailer allows us to load the boat at home, instead of loading the car so we can unload it and reload it all on the boat. We can do maintenance at home and we can clean and prep at home too. It takes very little time to put it on the trailer or to launch it. I'd bet I can get it in the water and out in about the same time it takes to move all of your stuff from the car to the boat. I'd also guess the cost of trailering vs. marina costs are a wash. I also get to choose my mechanic when I can't do it and I can buy gas where it's a lot cheaper too.

As far as size, you have to determine what you want and make the jump. I'd at least go with a 280 so that the jump is worthwhile. If you do want to trailer it, go to a 270 or a 260 to make it easier. Down the road you can decide if you want to upgrade the tow vehicle or you can rent one if available the trip to and from the water in the spring and fall. Bigger is better!
 
Sundancer said:
Bigger is better! I trailer a 30 footer because I can't stand going to the same marina, on the same lake, with the same dock neighbors! We have too many GREAT places to boat and a marina would limit our options. With the trailer I can go to Priest Lake, Lake Pend Oreille, the San Juans, Columbia and Snake Rivers, Flathead lake in Montana and a host of smaller locations! I'm an explorer and want to see new places! If I lived in Seattle, I'd probably just moore it since we'd be spending out times in the San Juans. Where you live and the availability of alternate places to boat will be a factor in that decision.

The trailer allows us to load the boat at home, instead of loading the car so we can unload it and reload it all on the boat. We can do maintenance at home and we can clean and prep at home too. It takes very little time to put it on the trailer or to launch it. I'd bet I can get it in the water and out in about the same time it takes to move all of your stuff from the car to the boat. I'd also guess the cost of trailering vs. marina costs are a wash. I also get to choose my mechanic when I can't do it and I can buy gas where it's a lot cheaper too.

As far as size, you have to determine what you want and make the jump. I'd at least go with a 280 so that the jump is worthwhile. If you do want to trailer it, go to a 270 or a 260 to make it easier. Down the road you can decide if you want to upgrade the tow vehicle or you can rent one if available the trip to and from the water in the spring and fall. Bigger is better!
Click to expand...

I don't know about trailering a 30 footer but you do make some other good points. I don't know if I could ever feel comfortable leaving my boat in a slip. I like being able to look out the bedroom window and seeing it myself. I can work on it anytime I want.
 
87cc, I'm sure it's a bit different trailering out West vs. PA! I'd hate knowing that my boat is slowly sinking and no one cares or bothered to call me! I'd hate the birds and spiders from the marina attacking it too!
 
As a rule of thumb, goes as big, and new as you can afford... You will use it more if you keep it in a marina. It is a second home... With today's real estate market, a boat is not a bad second home investment. We prefer inboard engines, so that limited our minimum size... In fresh water the I/O are ok, not so for us in salt water... Make sure you keep some money for repairs and gas....
 
From 87cc and Sundancer's statements it's clear that they've been trailering for some time and this boating style feets them best. Some people never change that, some are just not comfortable to change. I've been trailering for over 8 years, but we were always looking at bigger boats to have more comforts. There're always benefits to have your boat in your driveway, but IMO it's better to have 320 or larger boat waiting for you in a marina than 240-270 in the driveway.

The biggest difference is the cost factor to get from point A to point B. So, you have to understand that your boating style will be different. It will cost you more on fuel to travel by larger boat on water, but the experience is priceless. Also remember that you don't have to have the large SUV to drive everysingle day and with smaller car you'll get some fuel savings money back. With smaller boats most of the time it's about getting to destination, but with larger boats you learn how to enjoy the cruise itself and I'm not in a hurry to get where I'm going.

It's a big and pricy decision. Most of us have limited budget, which is always the primary driver. So, when deciding to go bigger there're plenty of things to consider, e.g. get 30' newer or 35' older for the same money. Thus, it's important to find the golden middle and choose the boat that's comfortable in all respects. The most importan factor is that you don't want a project boat. For boaters in seasonal areas it's critical for the boat to be functional all season long, so when deciding to go older but bigger may sometimes meen more time spent to work on the boat.

If you want fuel economy, comfort and most reability you may want to consider diesel boats. The biggest kicker is that 40-45 footer diesel will use the same or less fuel than 30-35 gas boat. But don't let this bug you, b/c most people don't jump from 22-24' in to 40-45'. Anything in 30s range is a logical move.
 
To all of you who have taken your time to provide me with a great volume of very excellent advice.

Many pros and cons have been addressed, even more than I would have been able to think of or list.

As I digest each response I will certainly provide individual feedback and a thankyou but wanted to at the very minimum post something in general to all of you in advance.

Thanks again
Ken
 
When we bought our first bigger boat, we ordered it with a trailer. When we then took delivery, we stayed at the vendor's marina for two weeks to "gain familiarity and work out kinks". This marina was also on the Trent Severn at Lake Couchiching.

After spending a little time at the marina, we realized how great it was to have a get away destination. It was like having a cottage on the lake. We quickly cancelled the trailer and stuck around. The decision definitely worked for us and led to more boating time than if we had to plan a destination each weekend and deal with the ramp time launching and loading. Also being on the Trent, we could go whereever we wanted anyway!

We ended up staying at that marina for 8 years before moving on to Georgian Bay - time for a change.

It was great to have the boat in a slip, always ready to go. My reco wo,uld be to go as large as your comfortable with (from both a financial and handling standpoint), and lose the trailer.

Paul
 
Wayne's World said:
Ken, I started out with owning 2 16ft cuddy Baysinker & then a 2150 Aft cabin Baysinker. :wow:
Now I'm very happy with the size of boat I have now. :smt001

So to answers your question !!. Bigger is always better to fit your needs. :thumbsup:
Click to expand...


Thanks for the positive vote. Did you find a big learning curve going to twins ?

Ken
 
Quint4 said:
I would say get at least a 30 ft. boat or the jump will not seem very significant after a few weeks.
Click to expand...


Thanks for the vote. I looked at a 29 Maxum for bench marking purposes and was not impressed with the samll difference in cabin space as compared to my 23. In fact getting into the mid cabin was more difficult.

Ken
 
Kreole KId said:
Ken, sell everything, including the SS!!! Find a marina, rent a slip, buy nothing short of a 30-32 footer. Trust me, you won't be disappointed:thumbsup:
Click to expand...

Wow, no fooling around here. I love the lines of the 30s, in particular the older models

Thanks
Ken
 
mwph said:
For what is worth.......

1. I too will move up in size. From a 25DA to a 31 or 33DA. Anything smaller, like Quint said, doesn't seem like much of a move up.

2. If I had to trailer, we would get out of boating. Too much work & worry in relation to time on the boat.

3. The weather seldom keeps us away from the boat. It would certainly keep me away from 8 hours of loading, towing, launching... You get the point.

4. Your thought of having a trailer for the option to move & store a 27' boat is not a bad one. I made the mistake of not getting a trailer & was shocked at the prices when I looked "after the fact".
Click to expand...

I can certainly relate to points two and three. If I was to move to a 27 it would be a 4 foot increase which I think is significant, however as mentioned may seem like not much later on.

Thanks
Ken
 
Alex F said:
After we realized that we trailering the boat less and less to long distance trips we wanted to try renting a slip and see how it feels to be part of the marina community. We also had our 2nd child and the more we though about it the more it made sense to upgrade to larger boat and give up trailering option in exchange for the most comforts. 3 yrs later I can tell you it's the best move I've ever made, despite the fact that we loved our 240DA and had it for 4 seasons. It was very logical move for our situation.

As for what should be the next boat I'd say the biggest you can get, b/c as soon as you start getting comfortable being in marina community and taking more cruises the new to you "big" boat will become small fast. So, as others suggested get nothing smaller than 30 footer.

The trick is that the more comfort you get in the new boat the more you'll want to be on it and cruise. So, having said that try to picture yourself in the 30 footer and think how would you be using the boat. This answer will be the biggest driver in terms of choosing the next model.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the vote as well. I can certainly picture myself in a 30 however the point you make regarding how we would be using the boat hits the top of the criteria list.

Thanks
Ken
 
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